


Gates and Green Shoes

by KattheCat



Category: Exiles Saga and Galactic Milieu - Julian May
Genre: Angst, Gen, Portals, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 03:36:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8694820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KattheCat/pseuds/KattheCat
Summary: Mercedes Lamballe had never quite forgotten the childish wish for a magic door.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own anything from Julian May’s worlds; Julian May does. No copyright infringement is intended; I am only borrowing these characters.

Longing and the Celtic soul are forever linked. We might say that longing is a Celtic pastime.  
\- Frank MacEowen

 

Why had she gone to Exile through the time portal on Old Earth in the first place?

Mercedes Lamballe hadn’t seriously considered the possibility of going to Exile until she had overheard some of her co-workers talking about it. The cousin of one of them had apparently departed through the portal a month ago. She wasn’t usually an eavesdropper, but she was feeling a bit low after Bryan Grenfell had dutifully departed for a meeting off-world, declining her offer of a sailing holiday. The stuffed shirt.

Frank chuckled ruefully. “Sam was always one of those ‘try and survive in the wilderness for X days’ types, so Exile sounded like the ultimate survival experience. See the unspoilt Earth, that sort of thing.”

There were sympathetic murmurs from the others, though Mercy thought she heard a slight tinge of wistfulness.

Or perhaps the wistfulness was in her.

Frank laughed at a comment. “Oh, he’s probably heading towards Pliocene Africa by now, being chased by a saber-toothed something. Or he’s chasing it, more likely.”

Mercy had ignored the last sentence, for the words ‘unspoilt Earth’ were resonating with her in a way that demanded she pay attention to.

Exile was the answer, the solution to her despair.

Yes, she was the associate director of the Fete d’Auvergne, the medieval immersive pageant, an honoured role. They strived for authenticity (without the disease and dirt of the time) but it was all fake. The fakeness of it all was getting to her in a way that was hard to hide from colleagues. Mercy could easily count the number of careful, sideways glances at her recently when they thought she wasn’t looking.

So that meant it was right for her to go. Necessary, even. She would be doing everyone a favour, especially those who had long tried to help her in their way.

Mercy smiled. As a child, she had read fairy tales and had been taken with the idea of finding a magic door to Fairyland, a wondrous place that was waiting for her, if only she could find the right door. She had known about Exile, but her childish mind had dismissed it. The time portal went the wrong way of course, to an ancient long ago explained in boring adult books, not to Fairyland.

So Mercy searched. Every time she saw an interesting looking wooden door, or an unusual door handle, she would fizz with a bit of excitement inside. Surely this would be the right door… she would go through and be welcomed. Of course she was endlessly disappointed, and she grew out of the habit when she got older. But she never quite forgot the childish wish for a magic door.

She wouldn’t see fairies in Exile, of course, but the thought of an authentic life waiting for her on the other side, free of two-bit fakery, appealed strongly to her. She felt a slight sense of unease, a thrill. A chill. She tried to grasp it, but it was gone.

Gaston would be furious when she handed in her notice today, but she was already thinking of how much the fare to Old Earth would be. Medieval-style clothing would be perfect for travelling through, as the thought of wearing a modern jumpsuit instinctively repelled her. She would take Deirdre, her dog through of course, just in case of those saber-toothed somethings that Frank had mentioned. Some sheep – meat and wool for textiles in one convenient package. Her harp – surely it would charm the locals to part with their currency when she needed it. She would need other things – the list went on!

Mercy ran a hand through her auburn hair impatiently. She needed to hand in her notice right now so she could get started on her packing.

She didn’t even think twice about Bryan Grenfell.

* * * *

Mercy sat in the simple chair as if it was a throne, wore the silver coronet that was the mental testing device as if it was a crown. Perhaps the portent of what was to come.

She had smiled as soon as she had come through the time portal and had seen Castle Gateway for the first time. Grinned, even, as she hadn’t in a long time. She had been surprised to see the tall exotics (what a shock for the Galactic Milieu if they knew!) but had felt an immediate and strange kinship with them that had calmed her initial anxiety. 

She had even good-naturedly gone along with the request by the gracious Lady Epone to test her mental abilities. What silliness – there was a fey streak of course in her and her mother’s side of the family, but it had never been enough to produce operants. Perhaps in future generations, the authorities had said encouragingly to her.

But now… she had been asked to produce a shoe to test her creativity. In a fit of whimsy, she had thought of a green high heeled shoe, elegant and perfect for a party. Besides, green was the colour associated with creativity itself, Mercy had thought ironically.

Then there was a magical door in her mind that she hadn’t seen before. It was beautifully carved and bright green light shone through the keyhole, promising wonder. She had found it at last! Excitement fizzed up within her as she reached out to open it…

Then there was a decided ‘thump’ as a green shoe fell to the floor and landed on its side.

“Creative sister, all the Tanu truly welcome you this day,” Lady Epone said in a shaky whisper as she held up the shoe for closer inspection. There was open wonder in her alien eyes at its solidity.

_She_ had done this, Mercy thought with delight. Here was the end of despair, here was the beautiful land where she belonged. 

Besides, her green shoe would need a mate if she was going to a party.

Mercy smiled.

 

FINIS


End file.
